Basic Cheese Sauce

There are few things more versatile than a basic cheese sauce so this one should definitely be in your arsenal! You can adjust it as needed- thicker or thinner- and you can play with the flavour by trying it with different types of cheese. It’s perfect for casseroles, over veggies or nachos, or even as a warm dip. It’s a basic sauce for basically anything!

Ingredients

4 tbsp flour

4 tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups grated cheese

1/4 tsp Dijon mustard

salt & pepper

Directions

The start of a good cheese sauce is the roux. Start out by melting the butter over medium heat and then add the flour and mix well. It will look like a clumpy paste- which is exactly what it should look like. Stirring constantly, continue to cook for 2 minutes as this will cook out that “flour taste”. Now add the milk and whisk quickly for a couple of minutes as the lumps dissipate and it becomes a thick white sauce. Now quickly add the mustard & salt & pepper and keep whisking. Start adding the cheese handful by handful- continuing to whisk- until it is all melted and becomes a smooth thick sauce. If you need something thinner, simply whisk in more milk until it’s the consistency that you’re looking for.

**A good dash of chili flakes is an excellent addition to this sauce and it turns out beautifully with almost every type of cheese!